Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary plate comprising reversal heads capable of rotating half a revolution about an axis fixed in relation to the plate whilst this latter rotates through a complete revolution in the reverse direction, in order to take, for example from a first channel portion of a drum rotating about an axis perpendicular to the rotational axis of the plate, an elongated cylindrical object such as a filter-tipped cigarette, and to place, for example in a second channel portion of the drum, such an object or cigarette, after having caused it to rotate through half a revolution from its being taken, the taking up and the putting down being carried out substantially simultaneously.
It is known that filter-tipped cigarettes are produced, in general, by placing a filter tip between two cigarettes, the whole being aligned, for example in a channel of a first drum; the three elements are brought together by a paper strip called a sleeve, rolled up and stuck around the filter tip and the two ends of both cigarettes, then, the whole is cut in the middle of the filter tip. Thus is obtained, on a second drum, two rows of cigarettes facing opposite directions, but it is generally necessary to reverse the cigarettes of one row and line them up with the cigarettes of the other row, so as to obtain finally on a third drum a single row of cigarettes facing the same direction.
A known device for orientating cigarettes, and particularly described in French patent application No. 2,243,657 uses a horizontal plate fitted with reversal members rotating about a vertical axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate and simultaneously carrying out the taking up of the cigarettes from, and their placing in, two non aligned channel portions of the second drum. Besides their rotation, the reversal members effect translational movements along their rotational axis to avoid the collision of the cigarettes during reversal.
Apart from the existence of numerous problems of wear, such a design brings into evidence the need for using flexible pipes which are generally very fragile in use.
Furthermore, the design of this device makes it generally indispensable to stop operation altogether as soon as any obstruction occurs. Such a restriction is particularly disadvantageous, not only because operating time of the cigarette orientating device is thus reduced but also because the starting up again of such a device is a delicate operation.
The present invention has as its aim the elimination of these disadvantages by providing a reversing plate whose design ensures excellent characteristics of long operating life and reliability.